Beehive



Feb, 13, 1941. SAUT'ER 2,232,343

BEEHIVE I Filed June 25, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l I, P AUTE 13a. R

J. SAUTER Feb. 18, 1941.

BEEHIVE Filed June 23, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 jha/fi/vroz? JOSEPH SAUTEREfrain/70 Patented Feb. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFHIE 12 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inbeehives and more particularly to means for regulating the temperaturewithin the beehive through the medium of a temperature responsive devicewhich is responsive either to atmospheric temperature or the temperaturewithin the beehive which will be hereinafter termed room temperature.

Another object of my invention is to; provide a beehive so constructedthat the bees will be protected from the cold by controlling theentrance and exit opening by a temperature responsive device.

Another object of my invention is to provide a beehive with means forcontrolling the admission of air thereto through the entrance and exitopening and yet maintain the proper ventilation within the beehive. Inbee culture it is generally the practice to close the entrance and exitof the beehive in cold weather by inserting an obstruction and to removethe obstruction on warm days and the main object of my invention is toprovide automatic means for regulating the size of the entrance and exitof the beehive by a temperature responsive device whereby the propertemperature can be maintained within the beehive without an attendanthaving to place such an obstruction in each hive.

. Another object of my invention is to provide a beehive so constructedthat it can be properly ventilated when the entrance and exit is closedby snow, thereby eliminating the removal of snow by the attendant.

Another object of my inventlonis to provide means for controlling thetemperature within the beehive, either by a temperature responsivedevice located within the beehive or on' the outside of the same,thereby enabling my device to be sold as an attachment. to be placed inposition in the conventional type of beehive now in use.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for controlling thetemperature within the beehive which is exceedingly simple. and cheap inconstruction and one which can be readily inshutter, the foraminousmouse protector being removed;

Figure 2 is a detail vertical section through the same;

Figure 3 is a detail front elevation with the 5 removable front of thecasing removed;

Figure 4 is a detail enlarged section showing the shutter in closedposition;

Figure 5 is a vertical section through a portion of a beehive showing mytemperature regulator 10 incorporated within the beehive; and

Figure 6 is a modified form of temperature responsive device showing theapplication of the same to the pivoted shutter arranged to close anopening in the beehive. 15,

In the embodiment of my invention as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 Ihave shown a temperature regulator and ventilator in the form of anattachment to enable it to be placed in position on the conventionaltype of beehive.

In the drawings l indicates a beehivehaving the usual entrance and exitopening 2 and shelf 3. Disposed within the entrance and exit opening onthe shelf isa vestibule 4 having an entrance and exit opening 5 and ashelf 6, the opening 5 being closed by a foraminous mouse protector "I.

Disposed on the top of the vestibule over an opening 4' formed thereinis a casing 3 provided with a base 9 secured to the vestibule withscrewsor the like, said casing having a removable front 3,9

in having a flange II at its lower end slidably mounted Within the baseand secured in position by screws or the like. The casing 8 is hereinshown rectangular in cross section and is provided with an opening I2-adjacent its top which 35 can be used by the bees as an entrance andexit opening when the entrance and exit opening 5 of the vestibule 4 isclosed by snow.

Pivotally mounted within the entrance and exit opening 5 of thevestibule 4 is a shutter l3 which 40 is engagedby one of the arms of apivoted crank M The shutter is so mounted that it closes by gravity whenthe arm of the crank I4 is moved out of contact therewith so as to closethe entrance and exit opening 5 and is herein shown 45. provided with anotch leaving a small opening for the bees to enter and leave thebeehive. Con-. nected to the other arm of the crank I4 is a link 55which extends up through the opening 4' and is connected to one end of alever [B pivotally mounted .on a stud l1 and provided with a bifurcatedportion it into which extends a thermobar 19 carried by a support 20fixed to one wall of the casing forming a thermostat of the conventionaltype now in use and is preferably provided with adjusting means foradjusting the when the weather is warm, the shutter is in the.

position as shown in Figure 2 and when the weather is cold, the crankmoves out of the path of the shutter and allows it to drop into a closedposition by gravity as shown in Figure 4. It is of course understoodthat the shutter can assume any number of intermediate positions so asto regulate or control the size of the entrance and exit opening inorder to regulate the temperature within the beehive.

In this construction it will be seen that the opening l2 provides meansfor ventilating the beehive when the entrance and exit opening 5 isclosed by snow and as in this construction the thermostat is affected byatmospheric temperature, I am able to control the temperature within thebeehive to a nicety, thereby dispensing with a great deal of work on theattendants part in either closing the entrance opening by inserting anobstruction or having to go to each beehive and remove the snow fromover the entrance opening.

In the embodiment of my invention as shown in Figure 5, the beehive 2|is provided with the usual entrance and exit opening 22 and shelf 23.Disposed within the entrance opening is a pivoted shutter 24 engaged bya pivoted crank 25 to which is connected a link 26 having its endpivotally connected to a lever 21 provided with a bifurcated portion 28in which the free end of a thermo-bar 29 is disposed which is carried bya support 30 carried by a casing 3| disposed within the beehive andhaving an opening 32 which can form an entrance and exit opening similarto the preferred embodiment of my invention. As the construction ofthermostat is identical with the construction of thermostat disclosed inthe preferred embodiment of my invention, I have refrained from showingthe details of construction. This embodiment of my invention difiersfrom the preferred embodiment of my invention by disposing the casingwithin the beehive and dispensing with the vestibule. In thisconstruction the thermostat will be affected to a certain extent by thetemperature within the beehive but I am fully aware that by formingopenings in the casing 3| the efiect of the heat generated by the beeswithin the beehive will have more eifect upon the thermostat and while Ihave failed to show any adjustment for the thermostat herein shown anddescribed, it is, of course, understood that the conventional adjustmentas shown in Figure 6 can be used without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

In the modification of the broad invention for controlling thetemperature within a beehive as illustrated in Figure 6, 33 indicates aportion of a beehive having an opening 34 closed by a foraminous mouseguard 35. Disposed within the beehive is a spring-actuated shutter 36for controlling the opening 34 and disposed within the beehive so as tobe affected directly by the heat generated from the bees is a thermo-bar31 carried by a support 38 and engaged by adjusting screw 39 foradjusting the position of the bar. This is one conventional means foradjusting a thermobar in respect to the member to be operated and canbe-used in connection with the preferred embodiment of my invention. Thefree end of the bar 31 is adapted to engage the outer face of theshutter 36 so as to close the shutter against the action of the springor to move away from the shutter to allow the spring to open the same.

The opening 34 can be so disposed in respect to the beehive as to admitair or to allow air to escape from the beehive and therefore I do notwish to limit myself to the position of this opening or to theparticular construction of thermostat used so long as it controls anopening disposed within the Wall of a beehive.

While I preferably control the admission of air from the other entranceand. exit of the beehive to regulate the temperature within thebeehive,'I amaware of the fact that a separate opening can be formed inthe beehive and provided with a shutter thermostatically controlled byregulating the temperature within the beehive, therefore I do not wishto limit myself to the position of the thermostat control device or tothe particular construction of the thermostat as my invention consistsbroadly in automati- I ca-lly regulating the temperature within thebeehive by controlling the admission of air or the outlet of air and Iam fully aware that the adjustment of the thermostat and size of the aircontrolling shutter will be determined by the particular construction ofbeehive to which the thermo responsive device is attached.

While I have only shown several embodiments of the broad principle ofcontrolling the temperature within a beehive by a temperature responsivedevice, I am aware that the temperature can be controlled in variousways and therefore I do not wish to limit myself to any particularembodiment or principle of the broad idea of controlling by temperatureresponsive device the temperature within a beehive whether it isaffected by atmospheric temperature or by room temperature.

From the foregoingdescription it will be seen that I have provided meansfor controlling the entrance and exit of a beehive by a temperatureresponsive device so constructed and mounted that the attendant will berelieved of having to take care of the beehive by either closing theentrance opening or by removing the snow therefrom but with myconstruction of beehive, means is provided not only for ventilating thebeehive and controlling the temperature therein but by providing anauxiliary entrance and exit opening for wandering bees which underordinary conditions will open to the atmosphere.

What I claim is:

l. A beehive having a temperature responsive device for controlling theentrance and exit to the beehive.

2. A beehive having entrance and exit opening and means for regulatingthe size of said opening by a temperature responsive device.

3. The combination with a beehive having an entrance and exit, of avestibule arranged in said entrance and exit having an entrance and exitand temperature responsive device for controlling the last mentionedentrance and exit.

4. The combination with a beehive having an entrance and exit, of ashutter for controlling said entrance and exit and temperature responsive means for controlling said shutter.

5. The combination with a beehive having, an entrance and exit, of amovable shutter for said entrance and exit and temperature responsivmeans for actuating said shutter.

6. The combination with a beehive having an entrance and exit, of avestibule adapted to be inserted in said entrance and exit and providedwith an entrance and exit, a movable shutter for closing said last namedentrance and exit and a temperature responsive device disposed in said8. An attachment for beehives comprising a vestibule having a verticallydisposed casing in communication therewith having an opening in itsupper end, a shutter for closing said vestibule and a temperatureresponsive device disposed within said casing for actuating saidshutter.

9. A beehive having an entrance and exit opening in communication withthe atmosphere, a shutter controlling said opening and a temperatureresponsive device for actuatin said shutter.

10. The combination with a beehive having an entrance and exit, of apivoted shutter for controlling said entrance and exit, a crank arrangedin the path of travel of said-shutter and temperature responsive meansformoving said crank in position to allow said shutter to close saidentrance and exit.

11. A beehive having an entrance and exit, a pivoted shutter for closingsaid entrance and exit, a crank arranged in the path of travel of saidshutter, a link connected to said crank, a

pivoted lever connected to said link and a thermobar cooperating withsaid lever having means for adjusting the same.

12. An attachment for beehives having an entrance and exit opening and atemperature responsive device for controlling the admission of airthrough said entrance and exit opening.

JOSEPH SAU'I'ER.

